Young Love
by Sailor Titan
Summary: Chibi-Usa has returned to the future after her experiences in the past, but even now that her 13th birthday has come Helios has still not reunited with her once more. As time goes on without him, Chibi-Usa's days at the palace seem increasingly empty....
1. Helios' Return

Chibi-Usa sighed as the sun set over the mountainous skyline. She walked down the broad boulevard, walking past the small boutiques and chic cafés. She had been admiring a ruby necklace for the past couple of weeks in one of the shop windows; a deep red teardrop set in platinum. It would be an easy thing to walk into the shop, show the mark of her royalty, and be given such a valuable piece for nothing it all. After all, she was the crown princess of Tokyo, and today was a very special day.

Her birthday.

But such a gesture from a shopkeeper would be empty. A gift given out of respect, to be sure, but not one given from the heart. And even the most beautiful ruby teardrop could not bring him back. Oh, Helios...where was he? She was 913 now, and her mysterious stasis as a child has stopped in those days she had trained with Sailor Moon and come into her own. Now she had the body of a teenager, and had...well, she had come past the time that a little girl becomes a young lady.

But no. Being nostalgic and mopey did not bring back her prince. She shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and headed back home.

---

The party was as opulent as Chibi-Usa--or Lady Serenity, as she was called on such formal occasions--had expected. And as dull. The party had entirely too many strangers.

"Princess," A voice said, accompanied a poke in her the back. Lady Serenity turned around to see tomboyish Juno in billowy bronze pants. Her hair was rather more understated than usual. "You look like you're about to fall asleep."

"I am. I miss the parties from when I was a girl, when it was just the senshi and a strawberry cake." She sighed. "Well, the cake is the same, I suppose."

"It's a lot bigger," Pallas remarked, coming up behind Juno. "So that's better, right?"

Lady Serenity giggled. "And you guys are here," she added. "That's a welcome addition."

"Here, have some of my cake," Pallas said, holding out a bite. "Cake makes everyone feel better. Cake and ice cream. And a brand-new dolly."

Lady Serenity delicately took the fork. "It's very good," she said after eating it. "Thanks." But it tasted empty.

All of the chattering in the room suddenly died down as Lady Serenity's mother walked elegantly to the top of the stairs, Endymion beside her. Lady Serenity did not talk to her parents as much anymore. They were gone from meals all too often as obligations tore them away; it seemed almost like Hotaru and the guardian senshi had raised her in these early years of ladyhood more than her own parents.

"We have a very special announcement to make," her mother declared, holding a champagne glass in her hands.

"Do you know what it is?" Ceres whispered, coming up beside Lady Serenity.

"They're probably just going to announce my gifts," she whispered in response. "Have me accept them and give thanks, and all that."

"It will be time to open the gifts soon," Her mother continued, and Lady Serenity looked at Ceres, a knowing look on her face. "But first, we have a very special guest to introduce to the royal court."

"Although you know our royal persons well as those who look after the health of this planet," Endymion said, "You may not be aware that there is another person who ensures the continued prosperity of this kingdom--behind the scenes."

"No way..." Lady Serenity murmured.

"It's my pleasure to introduce the priest of Earth's most holy land, Helios," He said, and he motioned to the entrance to the staircase. Helios stepped out, looking barely a day older than when Lady Serenity had said goodbye to him He smiled at her--at her with that gentle, beatific smile, and Lady Serenity felt her heart freeze. She ran from the ballroom and did not dare to turn back.

--

"Why do you weep, my lady?" Helios asked. She had run to the garden, heedless of how such an action must look, and he had followed her there with as much carelessness to the consequences.

"Why did you come back now? Like--like this? I waited for you. I wanted you to be there...sooner. I thought you...I thought maybe you had decided that I was just a lovestruck little girl after all."

"The time wasn't right," Helios replied.

"Why not?" She asked. "Was I so immature that you couldn't even...even talk to me? Even as just a friend? But what makes me feel the emptiest is knowing that...as much as I wondered where you were over a few brief years, you waited over a thousand while I was born and grew to be a young lady! Did your thoughts not turn to me even once? Why didn't you meet me as soon as you could?"

"Your father thought it best to wait until you came back from the past and would know who I was," he replied. "Otherwise the chain of events that led to our very meeting might have been disrupted."

"I don't mean before I came back!" she snapped. "What about after I returned?! Why weren't you there at the gate of time, eagerly waiting for my return after a millennia of waiting?"

"I...I wanted to," he admitted. "But your father thought...he wanted to wait for a few years."

Lady Serenity wiped away her tears, but a pouty face remained. "Well...why did you listen to him? He was just being over-protective."

"I...er..." Helios looked flustered; his pale face became lightly flushed. "I would not think of disobeying my lord in that manner," he replied a little defensively.

"Hmph!" she replied, folding her arms and looking away. "If I had known you would be such a goody-two shoes, letting my daddy get between us, maybe I wouldn't have been so eagerly waiting for you!"

Helios smiled. "So you have been awaiting my return?"

"That's a dumb question. What do you think all these tears were for? I should be asking you that!" She turned back toward him, giving him an accusing gaze. "Well, have you? Or was I nothing more than a passing fancy?"

Helios smiled and cradled her cheek in his hand. "Oh, my lady," he said, looking at her longingly, "How I missed you these many years."

Lady Serenity sniffled. "You dummy," she said, smiling despite herself. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

She took his hand and knelt toward him, sealing their reunion gently with a kiss.


	2. Haruka's Advice

Lady Serenity sighed as she sat on the tall, pink granite fountain in the crystal palace gardens. The last of the meetings of state in the crystal palace were ending, and political leaders darted left and right through the greenery filled courtyard as they made their way home.

"Jeez," She murmured to herself as she watched ants crawl along the garden path with disinterest and tugged on the bottom of her pink sundress.

"Who rained on your parade, Small Lady?"

Lady Serenity glanced up to see Haruka. Her hands were shoved casually in the pockets of her pinstriped pantsuit. Thankfully, They usually only wore their gowns on the most formal of meetings and events. "Nobody," she said, kicking a piece of gravel across the pavement.

Haruka raised a skeptical eyebrow. "...is it that time of the month?"

"No!" Lady Serenity said defensively. Haruka laughed, and Lady Serenity blushed as she realized Haruka had rather calculatedly gotten a rise out of her.

Haruka sat down next to the princess and leaned forward, folding her hands together. "Well then," she said, "What is it?"

"It's Helios...." she mumbled, cradling her chin in her hands.

"Did you get in a fight...?" Haruka said, concerned and surprised. "Tell me what happened."

Lady Serenity paused for a long time before she continued. "Well...you know...he came back from Elysion, right..."

Haruka nodded.

"And we..." Lady Serenity cleared her throat and turned red. "Y'know, we kissed."

Haruka smiled a little. She wasn't sure there was ever a time when she blushed like that over a kiss. "So what's the problem?"

"He still hasn't taken me on a date," Lady Serenity grumbled. "I mean...like...he hasn't even taken me on a walk through the gardens or anything."

Haruka covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Chibi-Usa interjected. "I mean...I thought he liked me, but he doesn't seem to want to spend any...y'know..." she blushed. "Couple time."

"Small Lady, maybe the problem is that you're sitting around waiting for him to make a move."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well..." Haruka sighed. "Helios doesn't strike me as the decisive type."

Chibi-Usa glanced away from Haruka, toward the fountain's rippling water. "He was the one who kissed me first, back when we first met."

"Haha, maybe that's true, but...because he was in dire straits back then, he might have had the courage to be bold. He wasn't sure how many more chances he'd have, you know?"

"I guess but...I dunno. Mom always talks about how Dad swept her off her feet. I guess I want a fairy-tale romance like that, too."

"Come on, kiddo," she said, tousling Chibi-Usa's hair, "There's more to romance than princes and white horses. You're a bold, independent woman!" Haruka held up a fist. "Who says you can't the the heroine of your own fairytale? Besides," she added, "weren't you the one who saved him? In a way, You've really been the prince charming all along."

"Hm," Chibi-Usa said, glancing toward the towering crysal castle in front of her. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I am."

She laughed. "I'll think about your advice, Haruka."

* * *

"Checkmate!" Pallas cried gleefully.

"Again!?" Lady Serenity groaned. "This is the third time in a row!"

Pallas shrugged. "Anyone else wanna play me?"

"We aren't stupid," Ceres said, rolling her eyes. "You always beat everyone. At everything--Go, Othello, Checkers..."

"Well," Pallas said, folding her arms and pouting, "If you guys practiced a little more and just _paid attention--_"

"Let's play daihinmin," Juno suggested.

Pallas pouted. "A card game? Card games are boooooring."

"What, because you don't always win?" Vesta quipped, pulling out a deck and shuffling.

"Nah," Pallas replied, "too luck-based most of the time. What's the fun unless it's based on how good you are?"

"You like poker," Juno remarked.

"Yeah, but you can bluff in poker!" she replied happily. "So it's okay."

Juno sighed as she threw down a five.

"Where's Helios?" Ceres asked, throwing down a jack.

"I dunno," Lady Serenity replied. "Probably praying on Elysion or something."

"You should invite him, Chibi-Usa," Ceres said. "It's not like we posted a Girl's Only sign on the door."

"Even if we did, you could just slap a skirt on him and no one would know the difference," Juno remarked.

Vesta and Pallas tried to hold back laughter while Lady Serenity glared. Ceres just rolled her eyes.

"If he really wants to come, he can come," Lady Serenity remarked cynically. "I wouldn't want to interrupt his prayer sessions with those skinny little Maenads."

The Quartet exchanged disbelieving glances before Ceres turned back toward their leader. "You know, Lady Serenity, I really think Helios is just...really shy, you know?"

"He might be afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting you--or making you uncomfortable," Vesta suggested. She threw down a Queen.

"Plus, you can be a little intimidating when you want to be," Juno added, frowning.

"What do you mean, 'intimidating'?!" Lady Serenity snapped. Juno just raised an eyebrow. She sighed and threw down a queen. "Haruka says I should make the first move."

"Haruka is right," Juno replied. "You'll be waiting another thousand years if you wait for him to make a move."

"I dunno....do you think it's weird to ask a guy out on a date?"

The Quartet raised their eyebrows.

"You've been in the past too long," Vesta remarked at last. "Of course it's not weird."

Lady Serenity sighed. "All right," she said, frowing as Pallas threw down a two and the round ended. "I'll talk to him."

* * *

"My Lady," Helios said, surprised. She had teleported down to Elysion; the Maenads were more than happy to lead her to the inner sanctum of the shrine where Helios prayed. "Is something the matter?"

"H-Helios," she said, blushing, "Will you...er, would you like to...um...go out for dinner tomorrow?"

"O-of course," he said. "I..." he cleared his throat. "You know...I missed you. "

"If you missed me, why didn't you come see me more?" Lady Serenity said, annoyed.

Helios blushed. "I...wanted to, but..."

Lady Serenity put her arms around his torso and snuggled against him. "What, did you think I would bite?"

"Well...no...It's just...I didn't really know anywhere to take you, and I was afraid you might not like where I suggested...and I was afraid that if I asked you where you wanted to go, it would be putting you on the spot, and it seemed very ungentlemanly..."

Lady Serenity burst out laughing. "I was so angry when I came. But now...you are just too cute, Helios," she said, giving him a peck on the lips.

"Well..." he said, nestling his head against her and returning her hug, "I am glad you think so, my Lady."


End file.
